English Reference
Adjective

impartial

adj.
C1 Advanced US /ˌɪmˈpɑɹʃəɫ/ UK /ɪmpˈɑːʃəl/ im·par·tial

adj.not supporting one person or group more than another. You use this to describe someone who is fair and does not take sides.

adj.treating all rivals or disputants equally; unbiased and neutral. Often used to describe judges, journalists, or formal processes.


SIMPLE

A judge must remain impartial during a trial.

CONTEXTUAL

The committee hired an impartial consultant to review the project and ensure no personal interests influenced the final decision.

COMPLEX

Maintaining an impartial stance is essential for investigative journalists, as even a slight perception of bias can undermine the credibility of their entire report.

Usage

Typically follows a linking verb like 'be', 'remain', or 'stay'; often takes the preposition 'towards'.

Pitfall
an unpartial observeran impartial observer

Learners often use the prefix 'un-' because it is a common way to negate adjectives, but 'impartial' is the correct form.

Bolivian Vice President Edmand Lara said the attack “threatens life, democracy, and freedom of expression” in a news conference where he called for an impartial investigation “without any kind of favoritism”.

Al Jazeera· 18 Aug 2026

In theory, the inquiry should be impartial and informative – a learning process focused solely on improving passenger safety.

BBC News· 10 Jun 2026

Borrowed from Middle French impartial. See im- + partial.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin frm impartial
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Frequent
Updated